


Student Driver

by motherbearof3



Series: Bites From the Apple [7]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Learning to Drive, Married Couple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:08:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23337397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/motherbearof3/pseuds/motherbearof3
Summary: Hermione teaches Draco to drive a car.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Series: Bites From the Apple [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1042418
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32





	Student Driver

**Author's Note:**

> I got an ask a while back for Hermione teaching Draco to drive. This is -- not a deleted scene because I may eventually add it in -- of that from More Than Once In A Lifetime.

Hermione had reached the stage in her pregnancy where fitting behind the wheel of a car was a challenge so she issued her husband an ultimatum: either learn to drive or they would be using magical forms of transportation. Her pregnancy, which they had been told had about a 10% chance of even happening, was deemed high risk by her healer, and had turned Draco into a Grade A Hoverer. Only once had he tried putting a cushioning charm around her and when she sensed it was there, was _thisclose_ to sending Ginny’s signature bat bogey hex his way. It was only because he was holding their adopted son Luci that she turned away and blasted apart a nearby throw pillow, sending its filling into the air. She blamed it on accidental magic from hormones but Draco felt her cancel his charm and saw the way she glared at him and hadn’t done it since.

He enforced the healer’s recommendation that she did things with magic instead of the muggle way; like housecleaning, dishes and laundry. She was advised to rest when Luci napped and stay off her feet. This he also attempted to enforce to the point where they were fighting over his protectiveness and her feeling of helplessness but also his frustration that by trying to restrict her activities Draco wasn’t getting any work done so they ended up moving into Malfoy Manor with Narcissa where Hermione agreed to allow the (paid and now free) house elves to help with Luci. But Draco also decided that manners of magical transportation were unsafe and so if at all possible, they drove. Or rather, Hermione did. But now that was becoming difficult. 

Which was how one Saturday morning Draco found himself sat in the driver’s seat of Hermione’s parents’ car that she kept reminding him it was a good thing she had kept, his sweaty palms ahold of the steering wheel. Still as much the student as his wife, Draco had read up on Muggle cars. He was equal parts fascinated and terrified of them and always wondered how they all managed not to crash into each other, but still felt his witch was safer traveling in one right now that she was apparating. She had driven them to a business park where the parking lots were all empty for the weekend.

“Okay, start the car,” Hermione instructed. He turned the key as she bade and the engine responded accordingly. “Now, put your foot on the brake and shift into drive.”

Draco looked down at his feet and then back at his wife.

“Wait. There are only two pedals. Where’s the third pedal? Aren’t there supposed to be three pedals?”

Hermione sighed what she was sure was only the first of many and replied,

“Standard transmission autos have three pedals. This is an automatic. The engine does the shifting between gears on it’s own as it reaches the correct number of RPM’s.”

“RPM’s?” he asked. “What are those?”

“Revolutions per minute. It’s how many times the engine's crankshaft makes one full rotation every minute, and along with it, how many times each piston goes up and down in its cylinder,” Hermione explained. In the silence that followed she was sure she heard crickets chirping somewhere. So she repeated her earlier command.

“Put your foot on the brake and shift into drive.”

“You aren’t wearing your safety belt,” Draco said.

“It doesn’t fit.”

He shifted back into park and produced his wand. With a simple wave, the belt grew long enough to fit over her swollen abdomen. Hermione could have done the same, but even extended, she felt uncomfortable with it across her body. However she knew from the expression on his face, her husband wasn’t going to move the car until she buckled it. So she did.

Then he put the car in drive again.

“Now, release the brake and gently press on the gas pedal,” Hermione instructed.

The car began to crawl forward as Draco did as instructed.

“Press a little harder,” she coached, as the speed indicator needle had barely moved.

The witch was pressed back into her seat as the car lurched forward several yards.

“Not that hard,” she said, and clutched her belly as he slammed down the brake pedal, bringing them to a jarring halt.

Hermione took a breath and tried to speak in a modulated, teaching tone.

“Draco, driving is like riding a broom, not a bicycle. You can’t mash the pedals like you do on your mountain bike to go as fast as you can. It requires finesse.”

She reached over and put her hand over his.

“Think of it as wooing the automobile to get it to react the way you want.”

“So I should pretend the car is you?” he asked with a quirk of his eyebrow.

“If you like.” 

It took Draco less than a week to master driving.


End file.
